


There For You

by Anne_Animouse



Category: Yami No Matsuei
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-22
Updated: 2012-12-22
Packaged: 2017-11-22 01:36:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/604378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anne_Animouse/pseuds/Anne_Animouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“But when you have nightmares, when you scream in your sleep.... when sorrow shows in your eyes... I'll be there for you."</p>
            </blockquote>





	There For You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [slashedsilver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/slashedsilver/gifts).



The incident aboard the Queen Camellia had left them all rattled.  Discovering that Muraki was not only still alive, but doing well for himself and continuing to cause trouble for the Castle of Candles had been a profound shock for both Hisoka and Tsuzuki.  After watching him die and return from the dead for a second time, only to have him escape at the last moment leaving Tsubaki-hime's blood on Hisoka's hands, no one would have blamed the young Shinigami for needing to take a break.  Given what they had just been through, it would have been no surprise to anyone that the boy was troubled.  Hisoka did, in fact, mourn for his Princess, but he recovers with his usual stoic grace, and after a few days off, he returns to work.

When Hisoka begins showing up for work earlier and earlier and leaving later and later, the Chief praises his dedication and hard work while Tatsumi mutters dark warnings about Tsuzuki losing his bonus to the newest Shinigami.  Tsuzuki blushes convincingly and whines about how unfair it is that he's been there longer than anyone but he still never gets any respect, and when his former partner merely laughs fondly and walks away, Tsuzuki returns to aimlessly shuffling papers and watching Hisoka out of the corner of his eye.  Tsuzuki has seen the signs of approaching exhaustion often enough when looking in his own mirror, and it doesn't take him very long to recognise that Hisoka is not doing as well as he would have the others believe.  

Hisoka has always been quiet, reserved to the point of seeming cold, but now he's almost monosyllabic.  He answers questions with grunts and nods or not at all, and never voluntarily starts a conversation.  The small touches he had begun to accept, albeit grudgingly, from Tsuzuki are shoved off almost violently, and he spends his off hours alone in his quarters, or locked away in the archives with the Gushoshin brothers.  Tsuzuki had begun to feel he was making progress with his sullen partner, but with each day that passes - following their return from Hong Kong - he can feel Hisoka slipping away.  When the dark circles under his haunted green eyes are bruise black, and his hands shake so badly that he almost spills his morning tea, Tsuzuki knows that the time for idle observation has passed.  

He approaches Hisoka during lunch, quietly sliding a small slice of his favourite apple pie across the desk.  The boy grunts in surprise, but accepts the fork Tsuzuki offers and takes a tentative bite.  Tsuzuki knows how good this particular pie is, a treat he only allows himself on rare occasions because it puts all other desserts to shame, and he hopes Hisoka will appreciate it.  Hisoka smiles softly as he reaches for a second bite of pie, and Tsuzuki feels something tight in his chest loosen just a little at the first real sign of life he's seen on his face in weeks.  He sits quietly beside Hisoka as the boy finishes the pie, and when the plate is clean of even the smallest crumb, he reaches out and gives the boy a quick one-armed hug.  Hisoka frowns and opens his mouth to protest, but Tsuzuki holds up a finger for quiet.

"I can't tell you it will be alright, Hisoka.  But I am here to help, if you need it."

Hisoka's frown deepens for a moment, but then he nods.  "Yeah."  There's a pause as he seems to consider what else to say, but finally he settles for a soft "thank you" before he ducks his head and returns to staring at the stack of papers in front of him.

It isn't much, but it's almost the longest conversation he's had with his partner this week, so Tsuzuki takes it.  He smiles at Hisoka, gives his shoulder another gentle squeeze, and pushes away from the other man's desk to return to his own work area.  As pep talks go, it leaves something to be desired, but when Hisoka comes in to the office the next morning only 30 minutes early with a spark in his eye that Tsuzuki was beginning to fear might be gone forever, he begins to allow himself a glimmer of hope.  

By the next time Hisoka and Tsuzuki find themselves sharing a hotel room while investigating a case for Chief Konoe, things are close to the way they once had been.  Tsuzuki and Hisoka stay up late studying files and arguing amiably over take away from a restaurant across the street from the hotel, Hisoka reaching over to occasionally steal a particularly tasty morsel from Tsuzuki's plate.  Tsuzuki protests every time, demanding retribution, but never quite stopping Hisoka from taking another piece.  When they fall into bed in the strange hours between late night and early morning, there is a contented peace between the two of them, and sleep comes easily.

From the grit in his eyes and the black sky outside their window, Tsuzuki knows he has only been asleep for a few hours when he is suddenly jarred awake.  He isn't sure at first what had torn him so unceremoniously from sleep.  The room is dark and quiet, everything still just as they had left it before bed.  He lies awake in bed for a few moments, staring into the darkness and waiting.  He almost misses the soft groan when it comes, a quiet sound that barely registers on his conscious mind, but has him sitting up in bed almost instantly.  By the time the next groan comes, this time louder and accompanied by the rustle of bedclothes as Hisoka shifts on the bed next to his, Tsuzuki has disentangled himself from his own sheets and is making his way to Hisoka's bed.

The boy's face is damp with sweat, dirty blond hair clinging to his forehead as he shakes his head back and forth, writhing on the bed.  He has pushed the covers off in his struggles, and his night shirt has twisted around his arms and chest.  The scars from the killing curse burn an angry red across Hisoka's exposed flesh, and even without the half-sobbed protestations Tsuzuki would know who and what Hisoka is dreaming about.  He debates touching the boy for only a moment, but decides that whatever emotions Hisoka might pick up from his touch, it in no way compares to what he is experiencing in his nightmare memories.  

Tsuzuki sits softly at the head of the bed, and grips Hisoka's shoulder gently.  The boy gasps and jerks, fighting the touch even in his sleep, but Tsuzuki persists.  Hisoka's struggles seem to take a painfully long time to slow, but finally he stops fighting.  His eyes open slowly, cloudy and uncomprehending at first, until they focus in on Tsuzuki's face.  There is a moment where Tsuzuki is sure that Hisoka will push him away, shove off his hand as he has done so many times before, but instead he gives a strangled sob and pushes himself off of the bed, half climbing into Tsuzuki's lap as he wraps his arms around the older man's shoulders, and weeps against his chest.  Tsuzuki's hands rub lightly up and down Hisoka's back and he makes soothing noises into his ear as he begins to rock him gently back and forth.  They sit like that until Hisoka's tears have dissolved into hiccups and Tsuzuki's back has grown stiff from being bent over, but even as Hisoka blushes and pushes away from Tsuzuki, rubbing at his face to try and wipe away the last of the tears, Tsuzuki keeps his hand on Hisoka's arm, lending silent support until the boy has pulled himself together.

When he's finally sure Hisoka has regained control, Tsuzuki brushes the damp bangs away from Hisoka's face, and cups his hand along his cheek, rubbing his thumb gently along his cheekbone.  

"I told you, Hisoka.  I will always be there for you."

The smile the boy gives in return is weak and world weary.  But it is a smile none-the-less, and Tsuzuki counts it as a victory.

**Author's Note:**

> Volume 3 of the manga ends with Hisoka clearly distraught over the death of Tsubaki-hime. By volume 4, he seems to have recovered completely. This is the sort of quiet comfort I thought Tsuzuki might offer Hisoka, to help him recover from his loss.
> 
> The quote in the summary is Tsuzuki's promise to Hisoka, from Volume 3 of the Yami no Matsuei manga "King of Swords", and was the initial inspiration for this story.


End file.
